To determine the order of increasing acidity for the given solutions, we need to rank them by their hydronium ion [tex]\([H_3O^+]\)[/tex] concentrations. The relationship between pH and [tex]\([H_3O^+]\)[/tex] is given by:
[tex]\[pH = -\log[H_3O^+]\][/tex]
To find the [tex]\([H_3O^+]\)[/tex] concentration for each solution, we'll use the fact that as the pH decreases, the acidity (and thus the hydronium ion concentration) increases.
First, let's list the pH values in ascending order, corresponding to increasing [tex]\([H_3O^+]\)[/tex] concentration:
- lemon juice: pH = 2.4 (highest acidity, highest [tex]\([H_3O^+]\)[/tex] concentration)
- vinegar: pH = 3.0
- grapefruit juice: pH = 3.2
- bottled water: pH = 5.5 (lowest acidity, lowest [tex]\([H_3O^+]\)[/tex] concentration)
Therefore, the order of increasing acidity (or [tex]\([H_3O^+]\)[/tex] concentration) is:
1. bottled water
2. grapefruit juice
3. vinegar
4. lemon juice
So, the correct choice that matches this order is:
bottled water < grapefruit juice < vinegar < lemon juice
This ranks the solutions by increasing acidity, where bottled water has the lowest hydronium ion concentration and lemon juice has the highest.
